How hazard perception scoring works

For each hazard there is a possible score of zero to five that is available. With a total of 15 hazards to find that makes a total possible score of 75 being available on the hazard test.

The quicker you respond in the period of time in which the hazard is present, the more points you get. So, if you respond within the first possible window for scoring, you get a score of 5, the second window gives 4, the third window 3, the fourth window 2 and the fifth window 1. Outside of that window and you neither score nor lose marks (in other words it will score zero if you click the mouse outside of the scoring window that is programmed into the computer playing the clip for that particular hazard).

The computer will take your first response, so if you decide to click a few times during the time the hazard is on screen then your first (higher) score is recorded. Since you can only get awarded points by clicking with the mouse within one of the five allocated windows, then this means if you do nothing at all during the clip then no mouse clicks are registered and therefore you will score no points at all.

There is a short gap between the clips. Be sure to only click when you think there is a hazard and don't get trigger happy with the mouse: if you click a lot of times then you are may be awarded a score of zero; this is alerted to you via a warning message if it happens.

One tip that has been suggested is to click a few times on occasions when you think you have spotted a hazard but are not sure if you are too early. That's because whether something is a potential hazard or a developing hazard is to some extent subjective and therefore you don't want to be so keen and eager that you click before something has become a developing hazard and therefore risk scoring no points for that clip.

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